Perforated disk or atomizing disk and an injection valve with a perforated disk or atomizing disk

ABSTRACT

A perforated disk has a complete passage for a fluid and composed of an inlet opening, outlet openings, and at least one cavity positioned between them. The at least three functional plates of the perforated disk, each of which has a characteristic opening structure, are applied onto one another by electrodeposition (multilayer electroplating) so that the perforated disk is composed of a single piece. Gas supply openings through which a gas can be supplied in the direction of the fluid to be sprayed are located in the lower functional plate, thus providing very fine atomization of the fluid. The outlet openings are part of the gas supply openings. The perforated disk is especially suitable for use in injection valves for mixture-compressing internal combustion engines with externally supplied ignition.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The production of nozzles in the form of perforated disks representing“S-type disks” is described in European Patent Application No. 0 354660. According to this method, the inlet and outlet openings in theperforated disk are offset from one another, thus inevitably producingan “S pattern” in the flow of a fluid passing through the perforateddisk. The proposed perforated disks are formed by two flat siliconwafers that are bonded together. Regions with a reduced thickness areprovided on the silicon wafers so that shearing gaps are formed betweenthe openings of the first wafer and the one opening of the second waferparallel to the end faces of the wafers. The silicon wafers, which havea large number of perforated disk structures, are etched using knownphotomasking techniques, thus creating the inlet and outlet openings.The truncated tapered contours of the openings in the perforated disklogically result from the non-isotropic etching technique.

A fuel injection valve that has a nozzle composed of two silicon waferson its downstream end is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,748. As withthe perforated disks described above, the inlet and outlet openings inthe two silicon wafers are offset from one another, thus producing an “Spattern” in the flow of a fluid passing through the disk, which is fuelin this case.

In addition, perforated disks composed of two or three connected siliconwafers are described in German Patent Application No. 43 31 851. In thispublication, an upper inlet opening in the upper wafer is followed bymultiple outlet openings in the lower wafer with complete coverage. Theperforated disks are provided for spraying a fuel-gas mixture with gasinflow channels from which a gas strikes the fuel to be sprayed largelyperpendicularly.

All of the above-described perforated disks made of silicon have thedisadvantage that they may not be sufficiently resistant to fracturebecause silicon is brittle. Especially when permanent loads are placed,e.g., on an injection valve (engine vibrations), there is the dangerthat the silicon wafers will break. Mounting the silicon wafers on metalcomponents, such as injection valves, is complicated, since specialstress-free clamping solutions must be found, and sealing the valve isproblematic. It is not possible, for example, to weld the siliconperforated disks onto the injection valve. There is the furtherdisadvantage of the edges of the openings in the silicon disks beingworn away by the frequent passage of fluid.

The provision of a spray disk having multiple spray holes as well as anatomizer disk located further downstream is described in InternationalPatent Publication No. 95/25889. The spray holes are provided in acentral conical depression in the spray disk. This spray disk isfollowed by a completely separate atomizer disk, which is composed ofmultiple layers or wafers and into which air flows from the outsidethrough a special opening geometry. The stainless steel wafers of theatomizer disk have an inner, central passage in which the air strikes,largely perpendicularly, the fuel emerging from the spray holes of thespray disk.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The perforated disk or atomizer disk according to the present inventionand the injection valve according to the present invention have theadvantage that especially uniform, extremely fine atomization of a fluidcan be provided with the aid of a gas, thus achieving an especially highatomization quality and a jet shape that is adjusted to the requirementsat hand. Consequently, the use of a perforated disk or atomizer disk ofthis type on an injection valve of an internal combustion engine makesit possible, among other things, to reduce the exhaust emissions of theinternal combustion engine and also reduce fuel consumption.

Using electrodeposition techniques, it is possible to advantageouslyproduce in a reproducible manner a very high volume of perforated disksor atomizer disks extremely precisely and economically. This productionmethod also permits a very large amount of design flexibility becausethe contours of the openings in the perforated disk can be freelyselected. Particularly in comparison to the production of silicon disks,electrodeposition has the advantage that a wide variety of materials canbe used. The many different metals with their various magneticcharacteristics and hardnesses can be used for producing the perforateddisk or atomizer disk according to the present invention.

Multilayer electroplating makes it possible in an especiallyadvantageous manner to produce recesses economically and with extremeprecision.

Another advantage is that the perforated disks produced byelectrodeposition are designed in one piece, since the individualfunctional plates are built upon each other in directly subsequentdeposition steps. After electrodeposition, the perforated disk is in onepiece; this means that no time and cost-intensive process steps areneeded for joining the individual nozzle wafers. This also eliminatesproblems which can arise when centering or positioning individual wafersin relation to each other in multi-piece perforated disks.

An arrangement for supplying gas can be advantageously provided veryeasily and at no additional expense in a perforated disk or atomizerdisk of this type produced by electrodeposition. Gas flows through thisgas supply arrangement in the direction of the fuel to be sprayed,atomizing the fuel especially finely. In addition to optimum preparationand atomization of the fuel, the gas inflow pulse also affects thedirection of the fuel jet at the outlet. A high impulse, for example,causes the enveloping angle of a conical fuel jet to decrease. Thiseffect can be used to control the jet shape according to load. With alow engine load, at which a vacuum is produced in the intake manifolddue to the throttle valve position, the driving pressure drop for thesurrounding gas is high, restricting the jet volume. With a high engineload, broader jet patterns with larger cone angles can be produced inthis manner. Depending on the local distribution of the fuel input intothe combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, a level ofcombustion that is ideal for the working load can be achieved by thegas-controlled influence on the jet pattern. Selecting different openinggeometries in the perforated disk makes it possible to influence thisjet pattern even when spraying a fan jet or using an asymmetrical jetshape.

It is also advantageous to design the perforated disks according to thepresent invention in the form of S-type disks so that exotic, unusualjet shapes can be produced. These perforated disks provide countlessvariations of jet cross-sections for one-, two-, and multi-jet sprays,including rectangles, triangles, crosses, and ellipses. These unusualjet shapes allow the spray to be optimally adjusted precisely topredetermined geometries, e.g., to different intake manifoldcross-sections of internal combustion engines. This makes it possible toadvantageously customize the use of the available cross-section tohomogeneously distribute the injected mixture in a manner that reducesemissions and to avoid harmful film deposits on the wall of the intakemanifold caused by exhaust gas.

The jet pattern can be easily varied. For example, it is simple toproduce flat or conical jet patterns, those that include multipleindividual jets, and asymmetrical jet patterns (directed to one side).

An asymmetrical, e.g., one-sided, gas supply can very effectively divertthe fuel jet to one side. This can be advantageous if fuel is to bealways sprayed onto an intake valve at a specific angle each time aworking load is applied.

It is also advantageous to design the atomizer disks according to thepresent invention in the form of swirl disks in order to achieveespecially effective atomization of the fluid to be sprayed. Because thegas supply openings as a means for supplying the gas empty into theoutlet opening tangentially rather than radially, an additional swirlingmotion can be produced in the gas as well. This swirling motion canrotate in the same direction as the swirling motion of the fuel or inthe opposite direction. If the swirling motion moves in the oppositedirection, the highest relative velocities occur between the rotatinggas stream and the rotating jet surface. This is particularly helpful inbreaking down the fuel jet into small droplets.

The means for supplying gas are ideally designed in the form of gassupply openings which also form outlet openings for the fuel at theirinner ends facing away from the circumference of the perforated disk,with the size of the outlet openings being determined by the material ofthe functional plate electrodeposited on top of it. This in no wayresults in additional cost compared to producing perforated disks thathave only outlet openings but no means for supplying gas on the lowerplane.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a partial illustration of a first exemplary embodiment ofan injection valve with a perforated disk according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the perforated disk illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a cutaway view along line III—III of the perforated diskillustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a partial illustration of a second exemplary embodiment ofthe injection valve with the perforated disk according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of the perforated disk illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 shows a cutaway view along line VI—VI of the perforated diskillustrated in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a partial view of one embodiment of an injection valve forfuel injection systems of mixture-compressing internal combustionengines with externally supplied ignition. The injection valve has atubular valve seat carrier 1 in which a longitudinal opening 3 isprovided concentrically in relation to a longitudinal valve axis 2. Inlongitudinal opening 3 is positioned, for example, a tubular valveneedle 5 whose downstream end 6 is fixedly connected, for example, to aspherical valve closing member 7 that has five flattened areas 8, forexample, located along its circumference for allowing the fuel to flowby.

The injection valve is operated in a conventional manner, for example,through electromagnetic means. A resetting spring (not shown) is used tomove valve needle 5 in the axial direction, thus opening it against theforce of the spring, and a schematically illustrated electromagneticcircuit with a solenoid 10, an armature 11, and a core 12, is used toclose the injection valve. Armature 11 is connected to the end of valveneedle 5 facing away from valve closing member 7, e.g., by a welded seamproduced by a laser and oriented toward core 12.

Valve closing member 7 is guided during its axial movement by a guideopening 15 of a valve seat body 16 which is mounted to form a seal inlongitudinal opening 3 running concentrically to longitudinal valve axis2 in the downstream end of valve seat carrier 1 facing away from core12, for example by welding. Close to its lower end face 17 oriented awayfrom valve closing member 7, a perforated disk holder 21, designed, forexample, in the form of a cup, is positioned downstream from valve seatbody 16. Perforated disk holder 21 has a shape that is similar to aconventional cup-shaped spray disks, with a central area of perforateddisk holder 21 being provided with a passage 20 without a meteringfunction.

A perforated disk 23 according to the present invention is positionedupstream from passage 20 on lower end face 17 so that it completelycovers passage 20. Perforated disk 23 is an insert that can bepositioned between valve seat body 16 and perforated disk holder 21.Perforated disk holder 21 is designed with a base 24 and a retainingedge 26. Retaining edge 26 extends in the axial direction away fromvalve seat body 16 and curves outward conically toward its end. In theregion of retaining edge 26, perforated disk holder 21 is attached tothe wall of longitudinal opening 3 ii valve seat carrier 1, for exampleby a circumferential welded seam 30 that forms a seal.

Perforated disk 23, which can be clamped between perforated disk holder21 and valve seat body 16 in the region of passage 20 is designed, forexample, in segments. An upper perforated disk area 33 that has asmaller diameter than a base area 32 extends, accurate to size, into anoutlet opening 31 of valve seat body 16 that is, for example, designedin segments and located downstream from a valve seat surface 29. Outletopening 31 can also be designed simply as a cylinder without segments.This region encompassing perforated disk area 33 and outlet opening 31can also be designed with an interference fit. Base area 32 ofperforated disk 23, which projects radially over perforated disk area 33and can thus be clamped in place, lies against lower end face 17 ofvalve seat body 16 as well as base 24 of perforated disk holder 21.While perforated disk area 33 encompasses, for example, two functionalplates, namely a middle and an upper functional plate of perforated disk23, a lower functional plate alone forms base area 32. A functionalplate is an area of perforated disk 23 extending in the axial directionwhich has a largely constant opening contour along its axial length.

The depth at which valve seat body 16 or cup-shaped perforated diskholder 21 slides into longitudinal opening 3 determines the size of thestroke of valve needle 5, since one end position of valve needle 5 isestablished when valve closing member 7 comes to rest against valve seatsurface 29 of valve seat body 16 while solenoid 10 is not excited. Theother end position of valve needle 5 is established, for example, whenarmature 11 comes to rest against core 12 while solenoid 10 is excited.The distance between these two end positions of valve needle 5 thusrepresents the stroke. Spherical valve closing member 7 interacts withvalve seat surface 29 of valve seat body 16, which is tapered in aconically truncated manner in the direction of flow and is provided inthe axial direction between guide opening 15 and lower outlet opening 31of valve seat body 16.

Valve seat carrier 1, valve seat body 16, and perforated disk 23 aredesigned so that a gas, in particular air, can be supplied to the fluidto be sprayed through perforated disk 23, e.g., a fuel. The gas used canbe, for example, the suction air diverted through a bypass upstream froma throttle valve in the intake manifold of the internal combustionengine, air conducted through an additional blower, air that has beenenriched with fuel vapor from a tank ventilation system, as well asrecycled exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine or a mixture ofair and exhaust gas. Multiple inflow openings 35 extending in a radialdirection are provided, for example, in valve seat carrier 1 forsupplying the gas.

Valve seat body 16 has, on its circumference, at least one, but usuallyat least two, groove-like depressions 36 extending in the axialdirection, with these depressions 36 being limited to the outside by thewall of longitudinal opening 3 of valve seat carrier 1, thus formingflow channels 37 for the gas. Depressions 36 begin at the height ofinflow openings 35 and end at lower end face 17 of valve seat body 16 inan area where a chamfer 38 is provided to allow the gas to more easilyflow into perforated disk 23. Instead of groove-like depressions 36,depressions 36 can also be designed as flat abrasions on thecircumference of valve seat body 16. Downstream from lower end face 17containing chamfer 38, the gas flow enters an annular chamber 39 whichis limited by the inner wall of valve seat carrier 1, by perforated diskholder 21, and valve seat body 16. Inside this annular chamber 39, thegas flow is distributed largely uniformly across the circumference.

Lower base area 32 of perforated disk 23 is designed with an arrangement43 (FIGS. 2 and 3) for supplying gas in the direction of its spraygeometry, with the gas coming from flow channels 37 and annular chamber39 entering this arrangement 43 and flowing therethrough largelyperpendicular to longitudinal valve axis 2. The flow paths of the gasare illustrated by broken lines in FIG. 1, while the principle flow pathof the fluid, or the final sprayed fluid-gas mixture, is represented bysolid arrows.

Perforated disk 23, which is partially located in segmented outletopening 31 of valve seat body 16 and held in place directly on end face17 of valve seat body 16 by perforated disk holder 21 is illustrated inFIG. 1 in simplified form and as an example and is described in greaterdetail on the basis of the following drawings. The use of perforateddisk 23 with a perforated disk holder 21 and clamping as the form ofattachment is one possible method for attaching perforated disk 23downstream from valve seat surface 29. A clamping method of this typefor indirectly fastening perforated disk 23 to valve seat body 16 hasthe advantage that it avoids temperature-related deformations which canoccur with processes such as welding or soldering when perforated disk23 is attached directly. Perforated disk holder 21 is therefore by nomeans the only way to attach perforated disk 23. Because the possibleattachment methods are not essential to the present invention, they aremerely referred to as commonly known joining methods such as welding,soldering, and cementing.

Perforated disk 23 illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 is constructed frommultiple metallic functional plates by electrodeposition (multilayerelectroplating). The production method using gravure lithography andelectroplating provides special design features, some of which aresummarized below:

Functional plates having a constant thickness over the entire disksurface;

largely perpendicular incisions in the functional plates due to thegravure lithographic patterning, with these incisions forming the hollowspaces through which the fluid flows (production-related deviations ofapproximately 3° over perfectly perpendicular walls can occur);

desired recesses and coverings over the incisions due to the multilayerconstruction of individually patterned metal layers;

incisions with any cross-sectional shape having walls that run largelyparallel to the axis; and

one-piece design of the perforated disk, since the individual metallayers are deposited directly upon one another.

At this point, a brief definition of terms is provided below, since theterms “layer” and “functional plate” are used. A functional plate ofperforated disk 23 is a stratum along whose axial length the contourremains largely constant, including the arrangement of all openings inrelation to one another and the geometry of each individual opening. Alayer, on the other hand, is a stratum of perforated disk 23 that isdeposited in a single electroplating step. However, a layer can includemultiple functional plates, which can be produced, for example, bylateral overgrowth. Multiple functional plates (e.g., the middle andupper functional plates in a perforated disk 23 including threefunctional plates), which represent a cohesive layer, are formed in asingle electroplating step. As mentioned above, however, the individualfunctional plates have different opening contours (inlet and outletopenings, channels) in the direction of the immediately adjacentfunctional plate. The individual layers of perforated disk 23 areelectroplated consecutively, so that the subsequent layer bonds firmlyto the underlying layer due to electroplating adhesion, and all layerstogether form a one-piece perforated disk 23. The individual functionalplates or layers of perforated disk 23 are therefore not comparable toindividually produced nozzle wafers made of metal or silicon in the caseof known perforated disks according to the related art.

The following paragraphs provide a summary of the method for producingillustrated perforated disk 23. All electrodeposition process steps usedin producing a perforated disk have already been explained in detail inGerman Patent Application No. 196 07 288, and this description applieshere as well. Because of the high demands placed on the structuraldimensions and precision of injection nozzles, micropatterning methodsare becoming more and more important for mass production of thesecomponents. As a general rule, a path that facilitates the formation ofturbulence in the flow, as mentioned above, is necessary in order forthe fluid, e.g., the fuel, to flow within the nozzle or perforated disk.Characteristic of the method in which photolithographic steps (UVgravure lithography) are applied successively, followed bymicroelectroplating, is the fact that it guarantees a high level ofstructural precision even on a large scale, making it ideal forextremely high-volume mass production. A large number of perforateddisks 23 can be produced simultaneously on a wafer.

The method starts with an even and stable substrate, which can be madefor example of metal (titanium, copper), silicon, glass, or ceramic. Atleast one optional auxiliary layer is then electroplated onto thesubstrate. This can be, for example, an electroplated start layer (suchas Cu) which is needed to provide electrical conduction for the latermicroelectroplating process. The electroplated start layer can also beused as a sacrificial layer to make it easier to separate the perforateddisk structures later on by etching. The auxiliary layer (typically CrCuor CrCuCr) is applied, for example, by sputtering or de-energizeddeposition. After pre-treating the substrate in this manner, aphotoresist is applied to the entire surface of the auxiliary layer.

The thickness of the photoresist should equal the thickness of the metallayer to be produced in the electroplating process that follows lateron, i.e., it should equal the thickness of the lower layer or functionalplate of perforated disk 23. The metal structure to be produced shouldbe inversely transferred to the photoresist with the aid of aphotolithographic mask. One way to do this is to expose the photoresistdirectly via the mask using UV exposure (UV gravure lithography).

The final negative pattern produced in the photoresist for the laterfunctional plate of perforated disk 23 is electrically filled with metal(e.g., Ni, NiCo) by electrodeposition. The electroplating process laysthe metal close to the contour of the negative structure, making itpossible to reproduce the preset contours in a dimensionally accuratemanner. To create the structure of perforated disk 23, the steps must berepeated from the optional application of the auxiliary layer, dependingon the number of layers desired, with two functional plates, forexample, being produced in a single electroplating step (lateralovergrowth). Different metals can also be used for the layers of aperforated disk 23, applying each one in a new electroplating step.Perforated disks 23 are then separated. To do this, the sacrificiallayer is etched away, lifting perforated disks 23 away from thesubstrate. The electroplated start layers are then etched away, and theremaining photoresist removed from the metal patterns.

FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of a perforated disk 23, viewed fromabove. Perforated disk 23 is designed as a flat, circular component thathas multiple, e.g., three, functional plates applied consecutively inthe axial direction. FIG. 3, in particular, which shows a cutaway viewalong a line III—III of the representation illustrated in FIG. 2,illustrates the structure of perforated disk 23 and its three functionalplates, with lower functional plate 45, which is applied first andcorresponds to the first layer deposited or base area 32 of perforateddisk 23, having a larger outer diameter than the two subsequentlyapplied functional plates 46 and 47, which together form perforated diskarea 33 and are produced, for example, in a single electroplating step.

Upper functional plate 47 has an inlet opening 40 with a rectangularcross-section. Four, e.g., square, outlet openings 42, into each ofwhich a slot-shaped gas supply opening 43 empties, are positioned inlower functional plate 45 equidistant, for example, from longitudinalvalve axis 2, and thus from the central axis of perforated disk 23, andarranged, for example, symmetrically around this central axis. Outletopenings 42 are provided along the two longitudinal sides of rectangularinlet opening 40, with outlet openings 42 being placed in a differentfunctional plate 45. Starting at the outer circumference of base area 32of perforated disk 23, four gas supply openings 43 with rectangularcross-sections are arranged parallel to or in alignment with each otherand extend into the interior of perforated disk 23 all the way to endareas formed by outlet openings 42. Each outlet opening 42 thus formsthe end of a gas supply opening 43 located at a distance from the outercircumference of perforated disk 23. In the section of base area 32projecting radially over perforated disk area 33, gas supply openings 43are largely covered by valve seat body 16 and perforated disk holder 21,creating gas supply channels.

With all functional plates 45, 46, 47 projecting, square outlet openings42 lie on a plane (FIG. 2) that is offset from inlet opening 40, i.e.,inlet opening 40 does not cover outlet openings 42 at any point in theprojection. The size of the offset can, however, be varied in differentdirections.

To ensure that the fluid flows from inlet opening 40 to outlet openings42, a channel 41 representing a cavity is provided ir middle functionalplate 46. Cavity 41, which has the contour of an asymmetrical octagon,is large enough to completely cover inlet opening 40 in the projection.Cavity 41 is even large enough that it covers all outlet openings 42 inthe projection. As a result, the fluid flow can largely enter from allpoints along the circumference of each outlet opening 42, due to thecavity wall that projects on at least three sides of outlet openings 42,with the cavity wall projecting directly over the sides of outletopenings 42 facing away from inlet opening 40. The material of middlefunctional plate 46 also covers a portion of gas supply openings 43 inthe direction of gas flow downstream from valve seat body 16. Thesubsequent sections of gas supply openings 43 that are not covered, dueto cavity 41, form outlet openings 42 and thus the metering outletcross-sections for the fuel flow.

The preferably perpendicular walls of all opening areas 40, 41, 42, and43 shown in FIG. 3 can have production-related deviations amounting to atotal of around 3° to 4°, so that all opening areas 40, 41, 42, and 43may how slightly tapered variations from the perpendicular in the angleareas described above, viewed from the direction of flow.

With a diameter of around 2 to 2.5 mm, perforated disk 23 has athickness, for example, of 0.3 mm, with all functional plates 45, 46,and 47 being, for example, 0.1 mm thick. Middle functional plate 36 inparticular, with its channels 41 in the form of cavities, are the mostlikely to be designed with a functional plate 46 of variable thicknessesin different embodiments, thus making it possible to easily influencethe flow by changing the ratio of the offset between inlet and outletopenings 40 and 42 and the height of cavity 41. These sizes in thedimensions of perforated disk 23 serve only to provide a betterunderstanding of the concept and in no way limit the present invention.The relative dimensions of the individual structures of perforated disk23 in all figures are not necessarily true to scale, since the layerthicknesses must be shown with a relative amount of enlargement in themagnitudes mentioned above, as compared to other components.

The above-described offset between outlet openings 42 and at least oneinlet opening 40 produces an S-shaped flow variation of the medium, forexample the fuel, which is why these perforated disks 23 are S-typedisks. Cavity 41 running in a radial direction gives the medium a radialvelocity component. The flow does not completely lose its radialvelocity component in the short axial outlet passage. Instead it exitsperforated disk 23 at an angle to longitudinal valve axis 2, separatingalong the walls of outlet openings 42 facing inlet opening 40.Individual, complex overall jet shapes with different quantitydistributions are provided by combining multiple individual jets, whichcan be aligned, for example, asymmetrically with one another and can beproduced by a specific orientation and alignment of inlet and outletopenings 40 and 42 and cavities 41.

The S pattern within perforated disk 23, which has multiple, intenseflow diversions, imposes a strong, atomization-promoting turbulence onthe flow. The velocity gradient across the flow is especially strong asa result. It is an expression of the variation in velocity across theflow, with the velocity being much higher in the center of the flow thanit is near the walls. The elevated shear stresses in the fluid resultingfrom the differences in velocity help break down the fluid into finedroplets near outlet openings 42. Because the flow is partiallyseparated at the outlet, it does not stabilize due to the lack ofcontour guidance. The fluid velocity is especially high on the separatedside, while the fluid velocity toward the side of outlet opening 42decreases as the flow is applied. The atomization-promoting turbulencesand shear stresses are therefore not eliminated at the outlet.

The S pattern or flow separation at the outlet produces a fine-scale(high frequency) turbulence in the fluid with lateral vibrations,causing the jet or jets to break down into correspondingly fine dropletsimmediately upon exiting perforated disk 23. The higher the shearstresses produced by the turbulence, the greater the spread of flowvectors.

Perforated disk 23 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is only one embodiment of thedesign of opening geometries for multilayer electroplated perforateddisks. Note, in particular, that countless other opening contours canalso be produced, such as triangular, square, rectangular, polygonal,round, semicircular, elliptical, curved, sickle-shaped, cross-shaped,tunnel mouth-like, bat-shaped, meandering, gear-like, bone-shaped,T-shaped, ring segment-shaped, and V-shaped contours, any combination ofwhich is also possible as inlet openings 40 and outlet openings 42 aswell as cavities 41. Likewise, the arrangement and shape of gas supplyopenings 43 can be varied as desired.

FIG. 4 shows a partial view of an injection valve for fuel injectionsystems of mixture-compressing internal combustion engines withexternally supplied ignition as a second embodiment, with an injectionvalve of this type being suitable for injecting a fuel directly into thecombustion chamber of an internal combustion engine of this type.According to this embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-6, the parts that are thesame or have the same functions as those in the embodiment shown inFIGS. 1 through 3 are identified by the same reference numbers. Allpreviously explained aspects relating to the production technology alsoapply to perforated disks 23 illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, which aredesigned as swirl atomizer disks produced by multilayer electroplating.

FIG. 4 shows a further method for installing an atomizer disk 3according to the present invention, in which an additional holdingelement 50, which projects into segmented longitudinal opening 3 ofvalve seat carrier 1 is provided on the end of the valve. Valve seatbody 16 is inserted into an inner opening 51 in holding element 50 sothat it is sealed by a gasket 52 and is attached, for example, by laserwelding, pressing, shrinking, hard soldering, diffusion soldering, ormagnetic forming, with its lower end face 54 being supported on a stage55 in holding element 50. Viewed from the downstream direction, opening51 extends cylindrically and rotationally symmetrically to longitudinalvalve axis 2 in the direction of stage 55 with a large diameter than thediameter upstream from stage 55. A lower segment 56 of opening 51 isused to hold atomizer disk 23, which is designed as a swirl disk.Atomizer disk 23 is designed so that four electrodeposited layers orfunctional plates, each having different opening contours, adhere to oneanother, with at least one of the two middle layers 46, 46′ defining anouter joining diameter of atomizer disk 23 so that the latter fitssnugly into opening 51 in holding element 50. Holding element 50 andvalve seat carrier 1 are permanent connected, for example, by acircumferential welded seam 57. Valve seat body 16, with its guideopening 15, is also used to guide valve needle 5.

Downstream from atomizer disk 23, another disk-shaped, cylindricalsupporting element 58, against which lower functional plate 45 ofatomizer disk 23 rests, is arranged in opening 51. On the side oppositesupporting element 58, a ring-shaped gasket 61, on which atomizer disk23 rests and which is pressed against a shoulder 63 of opening 51 frombelow when supporting element 58 is inserted, is arranged at the heightof upper functional plate 47. Gasket 61 is advantageously made of a softmetal such as aluminum or copper. However, a gasket 61 made of plasticor rubber is also conceivable. Supporting element 58 is flush, forexample, with a lower end face 59 of holding element 50, with a weldedseam 60 in the region of end face 59 being used for attachment. Acentral outlet opening 62 in supporting element 58 is designed, forexample, so that it increases in diameter conically in the downstreamdirection, so as not to disturb the spread of the jet. Atomizer disk 23can be very easily installed in holding element 50 from below.

At least one flow channel 37 for a gas, which runs for example from theouter circumference of holding element 50 to opening 51, is provided inholding element 50. At the back of flow channel 37, the gas flow entersan annular chamber 39 formed in opening 51 which is limited by atomizerdisk 23, supporting element 58, and the inner wall of holding element50. Inside this annular chamber 39, the gas flow is distributed largelyevenly over the circumference.

The lower layer or functional plate 45 of atomizer disk 23 is providedwith the arrangement 43 for supplying gas in the direction of its spraygeometry, with the gas coming from flow channel 37 and annular chamber39 entering this arrangement 43 and flowing through them largelyperpendicular to longitudinal valve axis 2.

FIG. 5 shows a preferred embodiment, viewed from below, of an atomizerdisk 23 with a swirling motion being applied to the flowing fuel.Atomizer disk 23 is designed as a flat, circular component that hasmultiple, for example four, functional plates arranged consecutively inthe axial direction. FIG. 6, in particular, which shows a cutaway viewalong a line VI—VI of the representation in FIG. 5, illustrates thedesign of atomizer disk 23 with its four functional plates, with lowerfunctional plate 45, which is applied first and corresponds to the firstlayer deposited, having a smaller outer diameter than the two subsequentmiddle functional plates 46′ and 46. Upper functional plate 47, forexample, has an outer diameter that corresponds to that of lowerfunctional plate 45.

Upper functional plate 47 has multiple inlet areas 40′. For example, acircular outlet opening 42, into which empty, for example, threeslot-shaped gas supply openings 43, offset from one another by 120°, isprovided in downstream middle functional plate 46′ and lower functionalplate 45. Outlet opening 42 can also be segmented between functionalplates 46′ and 45, in which case it is advantageous to select a diameterfor outlet opening 42 in lower functional plate 45 that is larger thanthe diameter of middle functional plate 46′. In this case, a ring-shapedhollow space for uniform distribution of the gas flow over the jetcircumference forms between the fuel jet and the wall of outlet opening42 in functional plate 45.

By selectively distributing gas supply openings 42 across thecircumference of the disk, the jet cross-section of the fuel to besprayed can be selectively changed when the gas is supplied. With thearrangement of three gas supply openings 43 shown in FIG. 5, a hollowconical jet can be changed to a jet with a triangular cross-section bysupplying the gas. The number of gas supply openings 43 and thedistribution of gas supply openings 43 over the disk circumference canbe varied to produce other desired jet shapes. When atomizer disk 23 isinstalled, gas supply openings 43 are covered from below by supportingelement 58, creating gas supply channels.

To ensure that the fluid flows from inlet areas 40′ to outlet opening42, multiple swirl channels 64, which empty, for example, tangentiallyinto a central swirl chamber 65 above outlet opening 42, are provided inupstream, middle functional plate 46. Because gas supply openings 43empty into outlet opening 42 tangentially and not radially, it ispossible to produce an additional swirling motion in the gas as well.This swirling motion can run in the same or the opposite direction fromthe swirling motion of the fuel. If the swirling motion is in theopposite direction, the relative velocities are the highest between therotating gas stream and the rotating jet surface. This is particularlyhelpful in breaking down the fuel jet into small droplets.

Gas supply openings 43 or gas supply channels formed when perforateddisk or atomizer disk 23 is installed have narrow cross-sections whichare used for metering the gas. In addition, the narrow cross-sectionaccelerates the gas so that the gas strikes the fuel to be sprayed at ahigher velocity in the region of outlet openings 42, surrounding andatomizing the fuel until very fine droplets form. The striking pulse andmixture of the gas with the fuel produce very effective atomization ofthe fuel. This causes a largely homogenous fuel-gas mixture to form.

Described perforated disks or atomizer disks 23 are provided not onlyfor use in injection valves. They can also be used, for example, inspray-painting nozzles, inhalers, ink-jet printers, or freeze-dryingprocesses, to spray or inject fluids such as drinks, and to atomizemedicines. Perforated disks 23 produced by multilayer electroplating anddesigned as S-type disks or swirl atomizer disks with gas supply aregenerally suitable for producing fine sprays, e.g., with wide angles.

What is claimed is:
 1. A perforated disk of at least one metallicmaterial, the perforated disk comprising: a single part with at leastone layer having a passage for facilitating a flow of a fluid, thepassage extending through the single part, the single part including aplurality of functional plates, the plurality of functional platesincluding an upper functional plate and a lower functional plate, theupper functional plate including at least one inlet opening of thepassage, the lower functional plate including at least one outletopening of the passage, the single part including at least one gassupply opening in communication with the passage; wherein each of theplurality of functional plates is electrodeposited onto each adjacentfunctional plate in an electrodepositing operation to thereby form thesingle part.
 2. The perforated disk according to claim 1, wherein thearrangement is provided in the lower functional plate.
 3. The perforateddisk according to claim 1, wherein the gas supply openings extend froman outer circumference of the perforated disk to an interior part of theperforated disk, each of the gas supply openings having a shape of aslot.
 4. The perforated disk according to claim 3, wherein the gassupply openings extend radially to a centrally-positioned opening of theat least one outlet opening.
 5. The perforated disk according to claim3, wherein the gas supply openings extend tangentially to acentrally-positioned opening of the at least one outlet opening.
 6. Theperforated disk according to claims 3, wherein the gas supply openingsinclude the at least one outlet opening which faces away from the outercircumference of the perforated disk.
 7. The perforated disk accordingto claim 6, wherein the at least one outlet opening includes a pluralityof outlet openings, and wherein a first amount of the outlet openingsequals to a second amount of the gas supply openings.
 8. The perforateddisk according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one middlefunctional plate including a cavity, the at least one inlet opening andthe at least one outlet opening being connected to the cavity.
 9. Theperforated disk according to claim 8, wherein the at least one middlefunctional plate includes multiple swirl channels which extend to aswirl chamber.
 10. The perforated disk according to claim 8, wherein thecavity is dimensioned to completely cover the at least one inlet openingand the at least one outlet opening in a projectional view.
 11. Theperforated disk according to claim 8, wherein the at least one middlefunctional plate has an outer diameter which is larger than an outerdiameter of the lower and upper functional plates.
 12. The perforateddisk according to claim 1, wherein one of the inlet and outlet openingsdoes not cover another one of the inlet and outlet openings at any pointalong a projection into a plane of the perforated disk, and wherein theat least one inlet opening is provided at a predetermined distance fromthe at least one outlet opening.
 13. The perforated disk according toclaim 1, wherein the upper functional plate is disposed in a particulararea which has a first diameter, wherein the lower functional plate issurrounded by a base area which has a second diameter, and wherein thefirst diameter is smaller than the second diameter.
 14. The perforateddisk according to claim 1, wherein the perforated disk is provided foran injection valve.
 15. The perforated disk according to claim 1,wherein the functional plates are electrodeposited on one another usinga multilayer electroplating procedure.
 16. An atomizer disk of at leastone metallic material, the atomizer disk comprising: a single part withat least one layer having a passage for facilitating a flow of a fluid,the passage extending through the single part, the single part includinga plurality of functional plates, the plurality of functional platesincluding an upper functional plate and a lower functional plate, theupper functional plate including at least one inlet opening of thepassage, the lower functional plate including at least one outletopening of the passage, the single part including at least one gassupply opening in communication with the passage; wherein each of theplurality of functional plates is electrodeposited onto each adjacentfunctional plate in an electrodepositing operation to thereby form thesingle part.
 17. An injection valve having a longitudinal valve axis,comprising: a valve seat surface; a valve closing member cooperatingwith the valve seat surface; and a perforated disk composed of at leastone metallic material and situated downstream from the valve seatsurface, the perforated disk including: a single part with at least onelayer having a passage for facilitating a flow of a fluid, the passageextending through the single part, the single part including a pluralityof functional plates, the plurality of functional plates including anupper functional plate and a lower functional plate, the upperfunctional plate including at least one inlet opening of the passage,the lower functional plate including at least one outlet opening of thepassage, the single part including at least one gas supply opening incommunication with the passage; wherein each of the plurality offunctional plates is electrodeposited onto each adjacent functionalplate in an electrodepositing operation to thereby form the single part.18. The injection valve according to claim 17, further comprising: avalve seat body including the valve seat surface for connecting to afurther outlet opening in a downstream direction, wherein the upperfunctional plate is disposed in a particular area of the perforateddisk, the particular area having a first outer diameter, wherein thelower functional plate is surrounded by a base area of the perforateddisk, the base area having a second outer diameter, the first diameterbeing smaller than the second diameter, and wherein the particular areaextends into the further outlet opening, and the base area is disposedagainst a lower end face of the valve seat body.
 19. The injection valveaccording to claim 18, wherein the further outlet opening is provided insegments.
 20. The injection valve according to claim 17, furthercomprising: a holding element; and a valve seat body having the valveseat surface, wherein the valve seat body and the perforated disk areprovided in the holding element.
 21. The injection valve according toclaim 20, further comprising: a supporting element permanently connectedto the holding element, wherein the lower functional plate is disposedon the supporting element.
 22. The injection valve according to claim20, wherein the holding element includes at least one flow channel forproviding a gas therethrough.
 23. The injection valve according to claim17, wherein the functional plates are electrodeposited on one anotherusing a multilayer electroplating procedure.
 24. An injection valvehaving a longitudinal valve axis, comprising: a valve seat surface; avalve closing member cooperating with the valve seat surface; aperforated disk composed of at least one metallic material and situateddownstream from the valve seat surface, the perforated disk including asingle part with at least one layer having a passage for facilitating aflow of a fluid, the passage extending through the single part, thesingle part including a plurality of functional plates, the plurality offunctional plates including an upper functional plate and a lowerfunctional plate, the upper functional plate including at least oneinlet opening of the passage, the lower functional plate including atleast one outlet opening of the passage, the single part including atleast one gas supply opening in communication with the passage; a valveseat body including the valve seat surface for connecting to a furtheroutlet opening in a downstream direction; and a perforated disk holderclamping the perforated disk to the valve seat body; wherein each of theplurality of functional plates is electrodeposited onto each adjacentfunctional plate in an electrodepositing operation to thereby form thesingle part; wherein the upper functional plate is disposed in aparticular area of the perforated disk, the particular area having afirst outer diameter; wherein the lower functional plate is surroundedby a base area of the perforated disk, the base area having a secondouter diameter, the first diameter being smaller than the seconddiameter; and wherein the particular area extends into the furtheroutlet opening, and the base area is disposed against a lower end faceof the valve seat body.
 25. The injection valve according to claim 24,wherein the perforated disk holder has a cup shape and includes a baseand a retaining edge portion, the base including a passage, theretaining edge extending in a perpendicular direction with respect tothe base.
 26. The injection valve according to claim 25, wherein thevalve seat body has at least one depression on an outer circumference ofthe valve seat body, and further comprising: a valve seat carrierlimiting the at least one depression to form at least one flow channel,the at least one flow channel providing a gas therethrough.
 27. Theinjection valve according to claim 26, wherein the at least onedepression includes a flattened abrasion portion.
 28. An injection valvehaving a longitudinal axis, comprising: a valve seat surface; a valveclosing member cooperating with the valve seat surface; and an atomizerdisk composed of at least one metallic material and situated downstreamfrom the valve seat surface, the atomizer disk including: a single partwith at least one layer having a passage for facilitating a flow of afluid, the passage extending through the single part, the single partincluding a plurality of functional plates, the plurality of functionalplates including an upper functional plate and a lower functional plate,the upper functional plate including at least one inlet opening of thepassage, the lower functional plate including at least one outletopening of the passage, the single part including at least one gassupply opening in communication with the passage; wherein each of theplurality of functional plates is electrodeposited onto each adjacentfunctional plate in an electrodepositing operation to thereby form thesingle part.